My Trip

Mom picked me up from work on Friday and we drove up to Idaho Falls. It was a lovely drive. We stopped at Burger King to get a burger and fries and just kept on driving. We could not wait to get to Aunt Lois' house to love on her.

We sat and visited and visited and just relaxed until it was dark outside and the cool Idaho Falls breeze was blowing through the open windows. Mom and I went downstairs and got into our beds and went to sleep. I woke up around 10 on Saturday morning. Whoops! I went upstairs and Aunt Lois made French toast with homemade bread (that she made that morning), sausage, fruit, milk (in a glass pitcher), and all of her best dishes. The French toast could either be eaten with homemade rhubarb jam, homemade raspberry syrup, or homemade maple syrup. After breakfast, my mom's cousin came to visit. We were still in our jammies!!! Mom and I needed a nap after that!!! When we woke up, we went out to the "chair room." It's a gorgeous covered patio with all sorts of collected seating. There are hanging chairs, rockers, a church pew, a homemade wooden bench, a homemade picnic table, and more. The wind blows through there and the wind chimes sing and sing. I colored and chatted with my mama and my sweet aunt.

My Aunt Lois is 90 years old. She does EVERYTHING on her own. Her impeccable yard, her impeccable home, driving, walking, shopping - everything. She amazes me. She is beautiful, sharp, active, hilarious, so kind, the best cook, a master quilter, a reader, an organ player, a friend, neighbor, hostess. She is everything I want to be when I grow up! She climbs up onto her back cinderblock wall and crawls along the top to trim vines. True story.

Saturday night, she made a chicken thigh meal that was to die for. Seriously. After dinner, she took me downstairs to her storage room where she has pounds and pounds of all kinds of chocolate. (She makes chocolates and dips chocolates and on and on) We cut up a bunch of pieces and took them upstairs to taste test. Oh. My. Gosh.

On Sunday, we got up and went to church. It was "her turn to drive," so we picked up her little widow friends. They are too cute for words! She helps them into church. So cute. After church, I went back out to my chair room and listened to the chimes. She made another seven-course meal that was so yummy that I couldn't stop eating.

I did not want to leave her and she didn't want us to leave! My boys needed me and I needed to be back with them. Jackson said that going to Aunt Lois' without them was the meanest thing I could do as a mother. I will take them up there soon so that they can love on her too.

I am SO blessed to have my Aunt Lois. Mom and I need to do more girl weekends, too. This is the first one in about 21 years. We have to do that more often! I loved every minute of my time with her and my time with my sweet aunt.